The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for indicating elevator car position and, in particular, to an elevator car position indicator for use by visually impaired persons.
Typical car position indicators used in elevator cars have light emitting diodes arrays which are arranged at the points of intersection of a point matrix, or have seven segment indicators. The car position information is, for example, generated in the binary code and is supplied to suitable coding circuits connected with the point matrix or the seven segment indicator respectively. Since both of these known types of indicators provide only optical indications, such car position indicators are not suitable for use by visually impaired or blind passengers.
Push button switches for use in elevator cars are shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,742,198 and in the European patent document EP-A-O 446 487. In use, the number indicating the floor in question is arranged in Braille below the push button with the same number indicating the actual floor, so that the blind passengers can enter calls for their desired destination floor. It is further known that on the floors, in the vicinity of the elevator doors, signboards are arranged indicating the floor number in Braille. Under these circumstances, a blind passenger, in order to ascertain whether the desired floor has been reached, will at every stop of the car at a floor have to read by touch the signboard arranged at each floor, or will have to count the acoustical signals sounding upon passage of each floor.
The present invention seeks to solve the problem of indicating car position to visually impaired or blind passengers so that the drawbacks described above are avoided.